Y-Vonne Hutchinson

Founder & CEO, ReadySet

Y-Vonne Hutchinson is the founder of Ready Set, a diversity solutions firm based in Oakland, CA, and author of the book How to Talk to Your Boss About Race: Speaking Up Without Getting Shut Down.

Y-Vonne believes that big problems require big toolkits. She loves using interdisciplinary approaches to solve complex problems, and is most happy when she is building a bridge between research and practice. Prior to launching ReadySet, she worked as an international labor and human rights lawyer for nearly a decade. She has also worked with foreign national governments, the US Department of State, and the UN.

Y-Vonne is a member of Harvard Law’s Institute for Global Law and Policy network and an expert on labor relations and diversity in the workplace. She’s presented on diversity, inclusion, and labor issues at Harvard Law, MIT Sloan, and UC Berkeley, as well as conferences around the globe. She holds a JD from Harvard Law School. She also serves on the boards of the Tech Equity Collaborative and the Pasadena Playhouse.

What Does It Mean to Be a Global Citizen?

Together, Carine Kanimba and Y-Vonne Hutchinson will explore the interconnectedness of global issues and their impact on individual lives. The discussion brings together Kanimba's personal experience with international human rights and Hutchinson's expertise as a international human rights lawyer and consultant on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Carine and Y-Vonne argue that events happening across the world are relevant to everyone’s own lives, even when there doesn’t seem to be a direct link. They disagree with the temptation to ignore international issues, and instead propose new ways to engage with global challenges without becoming overwhelmed.

Carine and Y-Vonne will talk about the intersection of DEI, human rights, and global belonging, and how these concepts are intrinsically linked in our increasingly interconnected world. 

With the upcoming consequential US election in mind, the talk also goes into the significance of being a global citizen on the world stage. Carine and Y-Vonne will discuss how individual actions and awareness can contribute to broader international dynamics and policy decisions.

By the end of the, talk hopes to answer the question: what does it mean to be a global citizen?